Glen Hansard
Glen James Hansard (21 April 1970 – 29 July 2026) was an Irish singer-songwriter and actor. From 1990, he was the frontman of the Irish rock band the Frames, with whom he released six studio albums, four of which reached the top ten of the Irish Album Charts. Hansard was one half of folk rock duo the Swell Season before releasing his debut solo album, Rhythm and Repose, in 2012. His second album, Didn't He Ramble (2015), was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Folk Album.
Primarily a musician, Hansard also acted and wrote music for film. He appeared in the BAFTA-winning comedy-drama The Commitments (1991) and the Golden Globe-nominated romantic drama Cyrano (2021). Hansard starred in the musical drama Once (2007), which earned several major awards including the Academy Award for Best Original Song for "Falling Slowly", with co-writer and co-star Markéta Irglová. The film was later adapted into a musical theatre production.
From Ballymun in Dublin, Hansard married Finnish poet Maire Saaritsa in 2022; they had a child. He died in a motorcycle crash at the Strawberry Beds on the outskirts of Dublin in July 2026 at the age of 56.
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